Consider taking advantage of self-storage either leading up to your move, reserved ahead to be ready for you at your destination, or both depending on your needs. Having a storage unit while I was preparing for my move was a serious game changer. It allowed me to pack up and stow away items that I knew were going with me but still needed out of the way while I packed up and sorted out the rest of my life.

Are you making repairs on your current house to prepare it for sale or rental after your move? Storage Unit.

Is your entertainment center taking up what would otherwise be a prime packing and sorting area? Storage Unit.

Keep tripping over your kayak while carrying boxes? Storage Unit.

Tripping over other boxes while carrying even more boxes?

Yep, that's right. Storage Unit

Literally any spatial or crowding issue you are having while preparing to uproot your entire life can be easily mitigated by simply giving yourself some extra space to work with.

Another little-known tip is that rental trucks and storage units often parallel one another in sizes offered. This means that by renting a storage unit with the same or similar square footage as your rental truck, you get a chance to play a few trial runs of Tetris to see how exactly everything is going to fit when moving day arrives.

Save for the truck trick, all these instances can apply on the other end of your expedition as well. If you are moving into a new home that is undergoing renovations it may be a good idea to put heavier items, heirlooms/antiques, or furniture that will need to be mounted into storage until such time that renovations are finished.

For items like those listed above, it is advised that you look into a heated and cooled storage unit in order to replicate the conditions the items are in when kept in a home. Whether you're looking for Nashville storage or Murfreesboro storage, StorPlace Self-Storage in offers units that meet these recommendations in just about any size imaginable so you can find something suitable whether you need to store a single table or your entire home.

Don't Skimp on Boxes!

Just like the tip about planning your route, this piece of advice sounds superficial but allow me to explain its multifaceted importance because, Ladies and Gentlemen, I almost messed this one up BIG TIME!

Boxes were going to be the easiest thing on my list. I had a foolproof plan. I was going to drive around to all the liquor and department stores in town and ask for the boxes that they were breaking down to throw away. At first everything was great. I was getting as many boxes as I wanted and was packing away, but then I started to notice a few trends.

Almost every box I received from the department stores and ALL of the boxes obtained from liquor stores did not close all the way. Whether for ventilation's sake or for the express purpose of irritation, gaps ranging from one to 4 inches thick were present on the tops and bottoms of the box flaps. At first, I compensated by cutting up strips of other boxes and taping them over the holes but this was not at all sturdy and just ended up wasting a lot of tape.

The second glaring error I had overlooked was the fact that these boxes had no structural integrity left. All were dented and worn from their previous trips. This combined with the fact that none of them were the same size or shape meant that stacking them was near impossible. Boxes were folding under the weight of one another and couldn't be safely stacked. It was becoming clear that they wouldn't stand stable in my living room, much less the back of a moving truck bumping and bouncing across the United States. (Just assume the suspension in whichever truck you rent will leave much to be desired, because it will.)

Essentially, I was wasting all my time and energy on packing for absolutely nothing. None of my belongings would ever survive the trip unscathed in these brown paper molds.

Please learn from me and skip this entire fiasco. Go to a storage facility or shipping store where they sell moving boxes and buy a few of each assorted size. Not only will they be sturdier by virtue of having never been used, but they will also close all the way. Thank goodness for small favors.

I ended up getting my boxes at StorPlace for a few different reasons. First of all, I had my aforementioned storage unit there, which was extremely convenient. They offer an amazing discount to customers on all of their packing supplies ranging from boxes, to tape, to furniture covers and everything in between. If you don't need a storage unit or already have one with another company, no worries. They also offer amazing discounts for bundle purchases. You get 10% off your purchase of packing supplies if you buy 10 or more boxes of any size combination, and trust me, you will need 10 or more moving boxes, so go ahead and consider yourself qualified for a discount. Did I mention that their boxes have handles? I've never been so thankful for hand holds in my life.

Pro Tip: Place heavy items in small boxes and lighter items in larger boxes to maximize packing while minimizing risk of injury. Boxes with handles are easier on your back!

The nuances of each individual move are as unique as the individuals doing the moving, but there is always something to learn from one another's experiences.

Budding wander-lusters and adventurous hearts from paragraph one, are you still with me? If you've made it this far you can make it to where ever it is you want to go, so go! Just don't forget to add on that extra travel day. It's amazing how tired you can get sitting behind a wheel. Enjoy the Journey!